The subject matter herein generally relates to connector assemblies and, more particularly, to a connector assembly that latches and unlatches with a mating connector.
Various types of connectors include latches to secure the connector with a mating connector. The connectors mate by loading one connector into the other along a loading direction. The latch of one connector is lowered to engage the mating connector and thus latch and secure the two connectors together. The connectors may be separated by unlatching the latch from the mating connector. Some known connectors are configured to latch and unlatch with the mating connector by raising the latch of the connector away from the mating connector. The latch may be raised by applying a load to the latch to depress a part of the latch downwards towards the connector. Known connectors with latches, however, are not without disadvantages. For instance, known connector latches are easily plastically deformed through repeated use of the latch and repeated depression of the latch downwards towards the connector. For example, the latches may not return to the original position or shape of the latch after the load is removed from the latch. As the latches become plastically deformed, the latches do not secure the connectors together as well as the latches did prior to being plastically deformed. Other known connectors have relatively complex latches that may be expensive and time-consuming to manufacture.
Thus, a need exists for connector having a latch that is robust and relatively inexpensive to manufacture. For example, a need exists for a latch that does not plastically deform when depressed to unlatch the connector with a mating connector.